The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-03
A TEMPORARY TRIUMPH OF FRAUD.

A TEMPORARY TRIUMPH OF FRAUD.
The Democratic drama of fraud eliminated
yesterday in the pretended election Of MIR.
David Turpie to the United States Senate.
We say it eliminated, because there is moth
ing else in sight, at present, which they could
steal, exec pit the three State offices to which
r epublicans were elected last fall and it will
take them some time to prepare the papers"
in those cases. Perhaps they will feel like
resting awhile. A conspiracy occupying near
ly three months in its unfolding and develop
ment is heavy strain on those engaged in it.
The alleged election of Mr.. Turpie is the out
come Of such conspiracy. The egg was laid
long Matching. The senatorship was stolen
yesterday, so far as the Democrats could dot,
but the preliminary arrangements forthe theft
were begun within forty-eight hours after the
November election. One crime generally car
ries others in its belly, and it was SO in this
case. The stealing of the senatorship necessi
| tated several other crimes and frauds. The
managers of the job were equal to the
occasion Luckily it required no high quail
ties nor any great ability-nothing but plain
rascality, such as election frauds, forgery,
perjury and bribery. This was easy If the
gerrymander had worked as they expected,
they would have been saved all this after
trouble but as the people broke through that
and elected Republican Legislature, it be-
| came necessary to reverse this result. This
publcans who were fairly elected. In atleast
two localities this was done. It came near
being successful in this county where the Sim
Coy gang altered the tally-sheets and forged
returns for the purpose, among others, of de-
feating Mr.. Grifiths, but their gun missed
fire. These crimes. were followed in order by
usurpation of power in organizing the Senate,
by his attempted theft of the Lieu
tenant-governorship by the unseat-
ing of Senator Mcdonald and the
seating Of Branaman, and, finally, by the
efforts to purchase a vote to make the required
seventy-six. Thus the alleged election of Mr..
Turpie is the elimination in regular sequence
of series of frauds and crimes covering a
period of nearly three months. The pretend
ed election is not merely tainted with fraud;
it is fraud. 1t is the result Of a revolution
bloodless, it is true, but none the less a revo
lution-by which popular government in In
diana has been for the time overthrown, and
place of those prescribed by the Constitution
and laws. A few bold adroit, unscrupulous
men have succeeded in changing the result OF
popular election, and by quasi election un-
: der the mutilated forms of law have assumed
to give Mr.. Turpie an Office which, if he ever
gets, he will hold by a title reeking with ras
cality and fostering with fraud.
Will he ever get the Officer We think not
certainly not if justice is done. The record
in the case is such that the mere presentation
of it to the Senate should call for investiga
ton. Mr.. Turpie's title is fraudulent; first,
because Green Smith, pretending and assum
ing to be Lieutenant-governor, also voted fo
Mr.. Turpie; second, because Mr.. Mcdonald
voted for him, when his election last Novem
Der was invalid; third because Mr.. Brana
man, an illegal and fraudulent Senator votet
for him; fourth, because at least one othe
vote cast for him was undoubtedly obtained
by corrupt means. For these reasons we be
lieve if the case is presented to the Senate i
will order an investigation, and when in pos
) session of the facts will not admit Mr.. Tur
! pie. The Republicans cannot afford to let tn
! case rest here; they owe it to the cause o
popular government and political morality t.
see that it is brought before the Senate MI
Turpie's election is either valid or invalid l
valid, the Republicans have been in tn
| wrong at every stage of the proceedings
: admission they would stultify themselves b.
; making. If invalid, it should be conteste
to the end, fought as long as there is a shot il
E the locker.
The House yesterday reconsidered and re
: versed its vote of the day before on Mr. Crit